Carter is a Republican. Gary is a Democrat.

They met in 1984, during the epic U.S. Senate battle between Jesse Helms and Jim Hunt. Carter worked for Helms and Gary, for Hunt.

Years later, they became friends. They even worked together on some nonpolitical clients.

They enjoy talking about politics. So they started this blog in 2005.

They’re still talking. And they invite you to join the conversation.

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Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

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Elections Where Issues Don’t Matter

By Carter Wrenn September 25, 2015

Arthur walked through the door, dropped a four inch thick poll on the table with a thud, sat down, and said, If you don’t want to lose this election, you have to learn something new. That was in December of 1983 when Jesse Helms was fighting for survival against Jim Hunt and Arthur – who’d…

The Old Hymn

By Carter Wrenn September 24, 2015

The old hymn goes, ‘Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.’ Is that idea true? Or false? Do you agree? Or disagree? And if the old hymn’s true what happens if we elect a President who worships another god? Does it matter? Do blessings only flow to individuals – or does He also bless nations?…

Webs

By Carter Wrenn September 23, 2015

It usually begins with an evasion which leads to another evasion and soon, like a hapless fly, even for a Brigadier General (who was a paratrooper) the silken webs are inescapable: Tony Tata, explaining to the News and Observer about three affairs, an out of wedlock child, a forged court order, an army investigation and…

NC Republicans waving white flag on taxes

By Gary Pearce September 23, 2015

The blog below is written by TAPster Daniel Gilligan, a policy consultant from Raleigh who has a keen eye for legislative follies: “New taxes shouldn’t be considered tax increases. That was the message from Republican legislators after they unveiled a state budget that includes over $200 million of new sales taxes over the next two…

Quoting a Crazy English Lord

By Carter Wrenn September 22, 2015

Since the day the John Locke Foundation opened its doors two decades ago it’s stood steadfast for free markets and steadfast against government regulations but then the unexpected happened: Its two perfectly reasonable abstract principles collided head-on and suddenly the Locke folks found themselves quoting an English Lord named Christopher Monckton who’d once claimed he’d…

Dickie’s dodge

By Gary Pearce September 21, 2015

Raleigh City Council candidate Dickie Thompson tried to pull a classic politician’s dodge last week. J.B. Buxton, also a District A candidate, held a press conference to blast what Indy Week called “one of the worst provisions in the new state budget: the sales tax on auto repair, maintenance and installation services that will go…

Roy Cooper’s Lucky Day

By Carter Wrenn September 21, 2015

Manna doesn’t fall from heaven often and falls on politicians least often of all but after Roy Cooper said he was dead-set against letting Duke Energy add the costs of cleaning up its coal ash ponds to its customers’ electric bills, Governor McCrory pounced – and it was ole Roy’s lucky day. Last fall, in…

Getting Shed of the Politicians

By Carter Wrenn September 18, 2015

ISIS is selling women at open-air slave markets; Iraq’s awash with Iranian soldiers; the Taliban’s waiting for us to high-tail it so it can take-over Afghanistan; Putin’s gobbled up the Crimea; and Iran’s marching down the road to a nuclear bomb. So with Obama in the running for the weakest President in memory, after Republicans…

Stage frights

By Gary Pearce September 17, 2015

Say what you will about Ronald Reagan, he looked like a President. Not a soul on his stage last night measured up. Air Force One was a fitting backdrop. You couldn’t imagine any one of the candidates walking down those steps and representing the United States of America. Trump’s act wore thin. And it didn’t…

Independents Turn Against GOP

By Gary Pearce March 17, 2026

North Carolina voters don’t like either the Democratic or Republican parties. But Independent voters – who…

Getting the News

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2026

How do you get your news? Our statewide poll asked North Carolina voters what their primary…

MAGA-gator

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2026

Thom Tillis and Phil Berger fed the MAGA alligator. Then it ate them. Thomas Mills wrote…